The Sound of Good and Evil in Final Fantasy VII

Abstract

Since its release in 1997, Square’s Final Fantasy VII has captivated audiences with its science fiction plot and rich characters. Like many video games, it presents a story about the forces of good and evil, played out through the protagonists and antagonists of the game. Throughout the story, musical character themes reinforce and enhance the struggle between good and evil taking place in the narrative. Drawing on Peter Brian Barry’s theory of evil known as the mirror thesis, this article views the character themes associated with Aerith and Sephiroth as representative of the moral extremes of good and evil, respectively. After framing the narrative and characters through the lens of the mirror thesis, I perform a close reading of Sephiroth and Aerith’s musical themes and backstories. The analysis demonstrates how Sephiroth represents the moral extreme of evil personhood, while Aerith represents the extreme of moral sainthood. The article concludes with a discussion of how these musical themes occur in relation to each other during significant moments of narrative conflict, particularly during Aerith’s death scene and the final cinematics of the game.